Indrakeeladri, the abode of goddess Kanaka Durga, was abuzz for a wrong reason on Sunday. The devotees were taken aback when the news that “insects” were found in laddu prasadam spread like wildfire on the second day of Dasara festivities.
Dragonflies, butterflies, moths etc., were found on the laddu prasadam that was stored in an open area by the temple administration. Rumours were rife that the temple authorities tried to remove the insects, pack them as usual and push it to the counters. As the satellite channels beamed the news, the health officials inspected the prasadam and seized it.
Sri Durga Malleswara Swamyvarla Devasthanam Executive Officer A. Suryakumari maintained that they were preparing the prasadam in the most hygienic conditions. The spoiled laddus were withdrawn from sale, she said.
‘Standard procedure not followed’
According to information, the standard procedures were not followed in preparation of the laddu prasadam. The laddu contractor has not cooked the jaggery, one of the main ingredients in laddu, properly. Secondly, the laddus were stored in an open space without any cover. The insects that landed on the freshly prepared laddus got trapped, temple sources said.
The temple authorities are paying Rs. 255 per kalai (a utensil) to the contractor towards labour charges for laddu preparation, up from Rs. 245 paid per kalai during the Krishna pushkarams. As many as 520 laddus are prepared per kalai .
Sales go up
Though pulihora is a much-sought-after prasadam on normal days, it is less preferred on festive days. Every day about 25,000 to 30,000 laddus and six to eight quintals of pulihora are sold at the prasadam counters in the temple. During Fridays, Sundays and general holidays, laddusales increase to nearly 40,000 and that of pulihora 12 to 15 quintals per day.
In 2009, 10.47 lakh laddus were sold during Dasara festivities. In 2010, the temple prepared nearly 14 lakh laddus. Since then the demand has been growing. The sales touched close to one lakh a day during the recent pushkarams.
The temple authorities revised the laddu rates in 2012 by increasing the laddu weight from 80 gram to 100 gram. The 80 gram laddu, which was sold at Rs. 5 in September 2011, has been revised to Rs.10 (100 gm).
A few weeks ago, Irrigation Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao expressed doubts about the quality of the prasadam. At a coordination committee meeting, the minister pointed out that he found some impurities in the prasadam supplied by the Kanaka Durga temple authorities. It is a common complaint from the devotees that the quality is not maintained by the temple.
